If you joined us last weekend, you already know it was a definite blast from the past in Bloor-Yorkville! We celebrated the winter season with our 15th Annual Bloor-Yorkville Icefest and the crowd-pleasing theme: Awesome 80s! The two-day event took place on February 8th and 9th, bringing in approximately 40,000 people to the neighbourhood. The energy of the 1980s was brought to life with on-theme sculptures, bold decor featuring 80s icons, and curated playlists by the DJs from Bellosound. All of this had people dancing in the streets despite the cold temperatures. Of course, Icefest is all in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation and we’re proud to say this year we raised approximately $9000 toward this fantastic charity!
We’re grateful for everyone who came out to enjoy the event, as well as our generous sponsors, talented carvers, and each of the participating vendors. The ongoing support of everyone involved helps us transform the community, creating a unique, fun, and exciting weekend. This year’s sponsors were:
Gold: The Holt Renfrew Centre and Hudson’s Bay Centre
Silver: Manulife Centre and TD Bank
Bronze: Sassafraz and The Colonnade
Radio & Print: Indie88 and Toronto Star
The Sassafraz Ice Carving Competition kicked the weekend off as 12 talented carvers competed for the top three places. The carvers brought lots of enthusiasm and unique ideas for their sculptures, creating everything from Terry Fox (the winning sculpture!), Looney Tunes, Donkey Kong and much more. Be sure to check out our Icefest 2020 photo gallery, where you’ll spot the competition pieces as well as our exhibition sculptures. The winners, as voted on by event goers, are as follows:
1st Place ($1000 prize): 🏆 Nandasiri Pollwatta sponsored by The Colonnade
2nd place ($750 prize): 🏆 Fredick Marquina sponsored by Colliers International
3rd place ($500 prize): 🏆Tyler Hayes sponsored by Calyx Wellness.
Congratulations to our winners and each of the carvers who came out! Many thanks to each of the Sassafraz Ice Carving Competition Sponsors: 2 Bloor Street West & Cumberland Terrace, Aldershot Landscape Maintenance, Guild Electric Limited, GYRA (Greater Yorkville Residents Association), Forest Hill Real Estate INC., Insideout Physiotherapy & Wellness Group, Kitchen Stuff Plus, Sassafraz, and Yorkville Design Centre.
In addition to our twelve competition sponsors, there were a number of Exhibition Sponsors who supported sculptures placed throughout the Village of Yorkville Park and surrounding areas. These sponsors included: Holt Renfrew Centre, Hudson’s Bay Centre, TD Bank Group, Manulife Centre, 11 Yorkville, 33 Yorkville Residences – Cresford Developments, Aquagran Landscaping and Construction Ltd., Bevcon Construction & Paving Ltd., Black Goat Cashmere, German Consulate Toronto, Gum Gone Graffiti Gone & Underground Pressure Washing, Harry Rosen, Hummingbird Lawyers LLP, MK Illumination Canada East Inc., Minto Communities, NKPR, Old York Lane, Sassafraz, The Art of Dentistry, The Colonnade, The Hazelton Hotel, Victorinox Swiss Army, Yorkville Lane, Yorkville Village, and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).
This year’s Bloor-Yorkville Prize Package winners were lucky enough to bring home some amazing prizes from the following businesses:
1st Prize Package: Approx. Value $1,200
- One Night Stay in a Deluxe King Room – The Hazelton Hotel (Value: $700)
- 10 Class Pack – Barry’s Bootcamp Yorkville (Value: $300)
- $100 Gift Card from Kitchen Stuff Plus
- $100 Gift Card from The Pilot Tavern
- Pilot Coffee x MiiR Travel Tumblr + Bag of Coffee Beans – Pilot Coffee Roasters (Value: $60
2nd Prize Package: Approx. Value $1,000
- Gift Basket – Calyx Wellness (Value: $500)
- 4 ROM VIP Passes (Value: $182)
- Five Class Series – SoulCycle (Value: $155)
- 4 x Gift Vouchers – Kupfert & Kim (Value: $100)
- 2 x Hemingway’s Gift Cards (Value: $100)
Again, thank you to everyone who braved the weather, embraced the 80s, and helped to make this one of the most memorable Bloor-Yorkville Icefest events yet!
